When the Exxon Valdez ran aground on March 24, 1989, Exxon took immediate responsibility for cleaning up the oil spill and fully compensating all parties actually damaged by this unfortunate event.

Working with the U.S. Coast Guard, which officially led the response, Exxon mounted a cleanup effort that exceeded in cost, scope and thoroughness any previous such effort in the world. More than 11,000 Alaska residents, along with many Exxon employees, worked throughout the region to help restore the environment.

In 1992, the Coast Guard declared the cleanup complete and commended Exxon for its unprecedented effort.

To compensate those hurt economically by the event, Exxon quickly and voluntarily paid over $300 million to thousands of Alaska residents. In fact, a federal court in 1994 found that Exxon had quickly paid essentially all actual damages to everyone affected by the spill.

In the years since the accident, Prince William Sound and surrounding areas have probably undergone more environmental study than anyplace else in the world.

Scientists representing Exxon, government agencies and independent institutions have investigated the spill's impact. Among those scientists, a broad consensus is developing: The wildlife as well as the overall environment of the Sound has essentially recovered. Nature's resiliency, combined with the cleanup efforts, has restored this vast and valued resource.

At the time of the accident, scientists familiar with the impact of oil spills in cold waters predicted the Sound's ultimate recovery. A decade later, scientific evidence is substantiating their forecasts.

Protecting the Future of Prince William Sound

Today in Prince William Sound, tugs escort tankers in and out, and a state-of-the-art radar system tracks both ships and icebergs.

Oil containment booms and other response equipment are stockpiled in the Sound and elsewhere in the United States to enable quick and effective spill response. Emergency response teams are trained and stand ready in key locations. Frequent drills are conducted that include key personnel from industry, government agencies and local citizens advisory groups.

Preventing Spills and Promoting Safety Worldwide

As Exxon assumed the challenges of cleanup, compensation and scientific study, the company also made a public commitment to prevent and mitigate future accidents in all its operations.

In the aftermath of the Exxon Valdez accident, Exxon redoubled its long-time commitment to safeguard the environment, employees and operating communities worldwide.

Exxon contracted Lloyd's Register Quality Assurance Ltd. (LRQA), a leading independent classification and inspection authority, to measure its Operations Integrity Management Systems against the ISO 14001 environmental management standard of the International Organization for Standardization. LRQA attested that OIMS meets ISO 14001 requirements and has been implemented throughout the company.

Results

Since 1990, Exxon's accelerated safety and environmental initiatives have:

Achieved an 80 percent improvement worldwide in employee and contractor safety performance.

Reduced by 80 percent oil in refinery wastewater.

Reduced spills from Exxon vessels worldwide to less than 3 gallons per million gallons shipped.

Reduced by 60 percent the number of spills reaching water from nonmarine operations in the United States.

Exxon's safety and environmental efforts have been recognized and commended by numerous outside agencies:

The Campaign for Cleaner Corporations ranked Exxon's U.S. refineries second in overall environmental performance and first in environmental impact, and it recognized Exxon as exhibiting "superior environmental performance."

Chile's environmental agency recognized Exxon for having the most reliable and best-managed air quality-monitoring network in the country.

The Texas Land Commission awarded a certificate of appreciation for outstanding contribution to the environmental protection of the state's coastal waters.

Nicaragua's Ministry of Natural Resources and Environment presented Exxon with a Special Mention Award for contributions to protecting the environment.

With the help of Exxon's initiatives, the worldwide petroleum and chemical industries continue to promote improved safety and environmental performance in all operations.